Ozone disinfection apparatus

ABSTRACT

An ozone disinfection apparatus is provided whereby the ozone is dispersed in a vapor. The use of an ozonated vapor increases saturation of the article, surface or area being disinfected. Ozone from a generator on-board the apparatus is forced into contact with a fluid, such as water, to form the vapor. Particle size of the vapor is controlled by passing the vapor through an atomizer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/160,567, filed Jun. 29, 2005; which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/522,830, filed Nov.11, 2004; and this application claims priority to currently pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application 60/596,861, filed Oct. 26, 2005.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the disinfection of articles and surfacesusing ozone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new reality of this century is that we are living in a world whereairborne hazards of pathogenic microorganisms are a major threat topopulations. Whether natural occurrences, industry, terrorism, orwarfare causes the threat, it represents an ever-present concern.Attention has been directed to the decontamination of buildings,hospitals, post offices, nursing homes, laboratories, subways, trains,airplanes, structures, equipment, facilities, and even personnel. Overmany years, various highly dangerous biological warfare agents have beendeveloped. Many nations possess large stockpiles of these agents.

There is a need for effective and quick decontamination technology forbiological agents. Although numerous other technologies exist, theprimary method is chlorine in the form of a hypochlorite solution thatis either sprayed or applied on the object requiring decontamination.Other technologies utilize chemicals, such as chlorine dioxide, hydrogenperoxide, methyl bromide and the like. The current technologies haveproblems such as corrosion, non-effectiveness in low concentrations orquantities, toxic by-products, collateral damage to equipment and itemswithin a facility or building, and logistical issues.

Each of these chemicals requires extensive training and safeguards forhazardous materials handling and storage including costly permits forpurchasing in addition to handling and storage. In higher concentrationsrequired for rapid and complete disinfection they pose a real anddangerous threat if not stored or handled properly. Additional hazardsexist during and even after their use as the area must receiveadditional cleaning to remove the disinfectant before occupancy.

One problem with current decontamination technologies is the size andbulkiness of the current systems causing logistical issues andhandling/maneuvering inconveniences. Therefore, what is needed is anefficacious, reliable, and yet compact decontamination system which doesnot rely on hazardous chemicals which present long exposure risks.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus fordisinfecting articles and surfaces using an ozonated vapor. Theapparatus includes an ozone source. An ozone conduit is communicativelycoupled to the ozone source and has a discharge at the other end. Aliquid reservoir, which most commonly stores water, is communicativelycoupled with the ozone conduit so that the fluid in the reservoir entersthe ozone conduit as ozone passes through it.

An atomizer disposed on the discharge of the ozone conduit converts thefluid from the ozone conduit into a vapor as the fluid and ozone passthrough it. An absorption area adjacent the atomizer is adapted to allowabsorption of the ozone from the atomizer by the vapor. The ozonatedvapor is then dispensed through a vapor ejection port such as ahand-held wand, a spray bar, a nozzle and an aperture formed in theapparatus.

In an alternate embodiment, the fluid reservoir disposed at the end ofthe ozone conduit opposite the ozone source such that ozone leaving theozone conduit is forced into contact with the fluid in the reservoirforming the ozonated vapor. A vapor chamber in fluid communication withthe fluid reservoir is adapted to receive the ozonated vapor from thefluid reservoir. In this embodiment, the atomizer is disposed betweenthe vapor chamber and the vapor ejection port and is adapted to reducethe size of the ozonated vapor particles passing through it. In analternate embodiment, the ozone conduit extends to a point above thelevel of the fluid in the reservoir and an ozone chamber provides thefluid communication from the ozone conduit to the fluid reservoir butprevents fluid communication between the ozone conduit and the vaporchamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be made tothe following detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the inventive apparatus indicating the flow ofwater through the water subsystem.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the inventive apparatus indicating the flow ofozone through the ozone subsystem.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the inventive apparatus showing the integrationof the water and ozone subsystems focusing on the inter-relation of theozone injection ports and the water ejection ports.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one configuration of the hand held wandshowing the inter-relation of the ozone injection unit and the waterejection unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate configuration of the handheld wand showing the inter-relation of the ozone injection ports andthe water ejection port.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of the nebulizer of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the nebulizer of an alternate embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments,reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a parthereof, and within which are shown by way of illustration specificembodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a system embodying the present invention includesa water subsystem comprising water source 10, pump 20, water manifold25, floor water-ejection unit 70 (such as a spray bar) and/or hand heldwand 75. Floor dispensing unit 70 is equipped with a plurality ofnozzles which have water ejection ports 30, which create mist area 5,surrounded by ozone ejection ports 60. Similarly, hand held wand 75 isequipped with a nozzle which has a water ejection port 35 surrounded byozone ejection ports 65. The water source can be any water sourcewhereby water enters the system, for example a reservoir or universalhose connector attached to municipal water supply system. In such anembodiment, the water subsystem can be adapted with check valve 15 whichprevents backflow.

Furthermore, a filtration subsystem can be incorporated into the watersubsystem. A filtration subsystem can include a sediment/particulatefilter for mechanical filtration and a carbon filter for chemicalfiltration. Reverse osmosis or distilled water can also be used as awater source. In this manner, incoming water can be freed of undesirableparticulate matter, minerals, and/or chemical agents which would competewith the ozone as an oxidizer, such as chlorine, or otherwise interferewith the action of the ozone. As used herein, a manifold is any device,pipe, or chamber having multiple apertures for making connections as isknown in the art.

Pump 20 provides the mechanical force by which water moves through thesubsystem. Pump 20 further comprises an inlet port, outlet port, and anelectric motor that powers the pump. Pump 20 must provide sufficientforce to provide the necessary delivery pressure and flow requirementsof the system.

Water leaving the pump through the outlet port can be directed to watermanifold 25 which provides a variable connection point among thedifferent plumbing lines and components downstream of pump 20. Flowthrough water manifold 25 is determined by a flow switch. A pressuregauge can be associated with the manifold to provide a visual indicationof the water subsystem's internal pressure. From water manifold 25,water can be selectively directed between floor water-ejection unit 70and hand-held wand 75. Both water ejection units (70 and 75) can beequipped with a nebulizer such that the water is converted into a finemist (atomized). As used herein, a nebulizer is any device whichconverts a liquid to a fine mist. The flow of water from hand held wanddispensing unit 75 (via water ejection port 35) is indicated in FIG. 1by the numerical indicator 5. Flow through the water subsystem can becontrolled via the use of any manifold means, such as solenoid valves,as is well-known in the art.

The present invention likewise includes an ozone subsystem comprisingoxygen source 40, ozone generator 50, ozone manifold 55, floor ozoneinjection ports 60 and wand ozone injection ports 65. The ozone for thesystem is created by the ozone generator which receives oxygen fromeither a canister containing pure oxygen or from air that has been driedin an air dryer (not shown) since moisture can interfere with theproduction of ozone. Gas supply valve 45 can be used to direct the flowof oxygen from alternate sources. Any manifold means, such as solenoidvalves can be used to direct the flow of ozone through the ozonesubsystem.

As with the water subsystem, the ozone subsystem can be equipped withozone manifold 55, which selectively directs the flow of ozone betweenthe respective ozone injection ports (60 and 65). In one embodiment,water manifold 25 and ozone manifold 55 are communicatively coupled suchthat the flow of water remains coincident with that of ozone flow. Theflow of ozone from the hand held wand dispensing 75 (via ozone injectionports 65) unit is indicated in FIG. 2 by the numerical indicator 7.

As it can be seen in FIGS. 2 through 4, ozone 7 is delivered at, orinto, the mist area 5 exiting water ejection unit. Mist particle sizeplays an important role in how much ozone 7 is dissolve in the watermist 5. The higher the dissolved concentration of ozone within the mist,the more effective the disinfection will be. Higher concentrations ofozone also correlate to quicker decontamination times. In one embodimentthe preferred mist particle size range is about 15 to 100 microns. Mistparticle size outside this range is contemplated by this invention. Theconcentration of dissolved ozone within the mist is inverselyproportional to the particle size. Accordingly, ozone concentration inthe mist may only reach 1 mg/liter.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show alternate arrangements of water ejection in relationto ozone injection. Alternate configurations are acceptable, andcontemplated. A skilled artisan can envision different, and equivalent,configurations and change the locations of some, or all, of theindividual components without deviating from the spirit and teachings ofthe invention.

In FIG. 4 hand held wand 75 has water nozzle 35 a adjacent, and incoincident relation, to ozone injection unit 65 a. In contrast, thearrangement in FIG. 5 offers a configuration offering greater saturationof ozone in the water mist. Here, water is dispensed through waterejection port 35. Ozone is fed through conduit 57 to ozone injectionports 65 which are spaced radially about water ejection port 30 ensuringa broad range of contact between the ozone and water 9.

The hand held wand is useful where the system is used fordecontamination on elevated surfaces (i.e. walls, countertops, shelves,cabinet doors, etc.). The wand may also be used for decontamination ofhard to reach areas without regard to their elevation. The wand isactivated by flipping the flow-selection switch; water and ozone arethen diverted from the floor subsystem to the wand subsystem.

In one embodiment of the invention, a minimum of about 10 mg/liter ofdissolved ozone within the mist is achieved. In this manner, the targetbacteria in viable or spore formation are exposed to a moisture richenvironment and become exposed to the aqueous and gaseous ozone.Thereby, a double exposure to the powerful oxidant, ozone, is achieved.

The system, as disclosed, uses a very small amount of water and requiresless energy than a small hair dryer to operate. One hour of continuousoperation requires less than 2 liters of water. Tests using the presentinvention resulted in a complete (100%) destruction of 10⁶ count ofviable stahylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa in 12 seconds oftreatment. More than a 90 percent reduction in Anthrax stimulant sporecount was achieved during the same time period in subsequent tests.

The invention delivers the disinfecting agent, ozone, in the form of avapor. The use of an ozonated vapor increases the saturation of thearticle or surface to be cleaned with ozone. Additionally, the use of anozonated vapor increases the inventions effectiveness againstspore-forming pathogens, such as Anthrax. Some pathogens form protectivespores in response to unfavorable conditions, such as starvation anddehydration. The resulting spore is metabolically dormant and isextremely resistant to chemical and physical attacks. The spore retainsthe ability to revive almost immediately when favorable conditionsreturn to the environment. The use of ozonated vapor, due to its highhumidity, degrades the she shell-like spore thereby exposing thepathogen to the ozone; thereby destroying the cell. As used herein, theterm “vapor” refers to a substantially gas phase in a state ofequilibrium with identical matter in a liquid or solid state below itsboiling point.

The ozonated vapor is created by passing a stream of the liquid past afine fluid-metering component, or atomizer. The host fluid, supplied bythe fluid reservoir, can be accelerated (or compressed), such as bypassing it through a venturi or under pressure. In one embodiment, theoperator controls the amount of fluid, and thereby the density of thevapor, using a variable control which passes more or less of the fluidin the reservoir through the atomizer. As used herein, an “atomizer” isany device adapted to convert a fluid into a vapor.

EXAMPLE 1

In one embodiment, nebulizer 100, as demonstrated in FIG. 6, generatesozonated water vapor, or fog 120. Water reservoir 105 is in fluidcontact with ozone conduit 110. The end of ozone conduit 110 is equippedwith atomizer 115. During operation ozone passes through conduit 110. Asmall volume of water from reservoir 105 enters conduit 110 as the ozonepasses through. The ozone and water combination is vaporized as itengages atomizer 115. The ozone is absorbed by the vaporized water andeventually becomes dissolved therein; thereby forming the ozonated watervapor 120. Water conduit 107 can be added to the system to replace waterlost from the reservoir as vapor 120 is created.

Vapor 120 then exits the device at ejection port 125 for delivery. Vapor120 can be dispersed via any known device such as, but not limited to,the hand-held wand, spray bar, or can even be allowed to exit via anopen conduit to permeate any room or space. The use of an ozonated foghas applications independent of the apparatus disclosed herein and canbe used as a stand-alone method of disinfection.

EXAMPLE 2

Other embodiments of the above described method are envisioned using anyknow nebulizer. For example, FIG. 7 shows alternate nebulizer 100 a.Ozone leaving ozone conduit 110 a enters the water contained in waterreservoir 105 a. Through diffusion and the pressure from conduit 110 a,ozonated mist 125 a forms within the apparatus where it is eitherdispersed through ejection port 125 a. Alternatively, atomizer 115 a canbe adapted within the device to reduce the particle size of vapor 120 a.

It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those madeapparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained andsince certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatters contained in the foregoing description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall there between.

1. A disinfection apparatus comprising: an ozone source; an ozoneconduit having an intake end communicatively coupled to the ozone sourceand a discharge end; a liquid reservoir in fluid communication with theozone conduit, such that the ozone conduit is at least partiallydisposed within the liquid reservoir, the liquid from the liquidreservoir enters the ozone conduit as ozone passes therethrough, and theliquid and ozone mix to create an ozonated fluid; and an atomizer toconvert the ozonated fluid in the ozone conduit into a vapor as theozonated fluid passes therethrough.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising an absorption area positioned adjacent to the atomizer suchthat the absorption area allows absorption of ozone by the vapor.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the atomizer is disposed at the dischargeend of the ozone conduit.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a vapor ejection device selected from the group consisting ofa hand-held wand, a spray bar, a nozzle and an aperture formed in theapparatus.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoir isdisposed in fluid communication with the ozone conduit such that theliquid from the liquid reservoir enters the ozone conduit at a locationbetween the intake end and the discharge end as ozone passestherethrough.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid reservoiris disposed in fluid communication with the ozone conduit such thatozone leaving the ozone conduit is dissolved in the liquid in the liquidreservoir forming an ozonated fluid.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6,further comprising: a vapor chamber in fluid communication with theliquid reservoir adapted to receive the ozonated fluid from the liquidreservoir; and a vapor ejection device.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein the vapor ejection device is selected from the group consistingof a hand-held wand, a spray bar, a nozzle and an aperture formed in theapparatus.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the atomizer is disposedbetween the vapor chamber and the vapor ejection device.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 6, wherein the ozone conduit extends to a point abovethe level of the liquid in the reservoir.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10,further comprising an ozone chamber adapted to provide fluidcommunication between the ozone conduit and the liquid reservoir and toprevent fluid communication between the ozone conduit and the vaporchamber.
 12. A disinfection apparatus comprising: an ozone source; anozone conduit having an intake end communicatively coupled to the ozonesource and a discharge end; a liquid reservoir in fluid communicationwith the ozone conduit such that the ozone conduit is at least partiallydisposed within the liquid reservoir, the liquid from the liquidreservoir enters the ozone conduit at a location between the intake endand the discharge end as ozone passes therethrough, and the liquid andozone mix to create an ozonated fluid; an atomizer disposed on thedischarge end of the ozone conduit; wherein the atomizer converts theozonated fluid from the ozone conduit into a vapor as the ozonated fluidpasses therethrough; and an absorption area adjacent the atomizer toallow absorption of ozone by the vapor.
 13. A disinfection apparatuscomprising: an ozone source adapted to deliver ozone under pressure; anozone conduit in fluid communication with the ozone source; encompass aliquid reservoir disposed such that the ozone conduit is at leastpartially disposed within the liquid reservoir and the ozone leaving theozone conduit is dissolved in the liquid in the liquid reservoir formingan ozonated fluid; a vapor chamber in fluid communication with the fluidreservoir adapted to receive the ozonated fluid from the liquidreservoir; and a vapor ejection device adapted to eject the ozonatedliquid from the vapor chamber.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, whereinthe ozone conduit extends to a point above the level of the liquid inthe liquid reservoir.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprisingan ozone chamber adapted to provide fluid communication between theozone conduit to the liquid reservoir and to prevent fluid communicationbetween the ozone conduit and the vapor chamber.